Program Archive: 2008-2009President: Betsy Kulamer, American Society of Civil Engineers
Vice President: Christopher Kelaher, Brookings Institution Press
Why Aren't Freelancers Free? and Other Questions about Serving Your Clients and Managing Your Workers
Date: October 1, 2008
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Presenters:
Pete Lindeman, Oak Street Publishing
Jayne Sutton, EEI Communications
Teresa Walker, Catholic University Press
Moderator: Chris Kelaher, Brookings Institution Press
Viral and Electronic Marketing Publishing: Plague or Panacea?
Date: November 19, 2008
Location: Brooking Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC
Presenters:
Bruce Miller Sr., iPublish Central, Impelsys
Chris O'Brien, College Marketing Manager, CQ Press
Chris Kelaher, Marketing Director & Senior Acquisitions Editor, Brookings Institution Press
Summary:
This presentation covered the possibilities and pitfalls of new tools and strategies for selling books via the Internet. Questions posed were: What are the costs in dollars and staff time? What audiences does it reach effectively? Is this stuff really working for anyone? Three experts spoke and answered questions on what is becoming a rapidly expanding area of marketing, including that of books. Bruce Miller Sr., a sales executive with Impelsys, an online electronic content delivery company, spoke about what he called the "voluntary passing of marketing messages," through the use of viral marketing techniques, such as video clips, text messages, widgets, social media, and just about any other possible avenue available on a computer. More information about creating widgets on your website is available on the Impelsys Web site. Chris O'Brien and Chris Kelaher spoke about how they and other university publishers and think tanks use viral marketing in their individual organizations through such means as e-newletters and blogs. Examples cited by Chris Kelaher can be found Kelaher Handout (PDF, 775 kb).
Holiday Party and Book Gift Exchange
Date: December 10, 2009
Location: National Trust for Historic Preservation
Publishing Alliances to Leverage Content and Market
Date: February 12, 2009
Location: CQ Press, 2300 N Street, NW, Washington, DC
Presenters:
Chris Anzalone, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Jack Bruggeman, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
Cat Russo, American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
Summary:
Jack Bruggeman started the evening by defining copublishing as a special rights agreement between two organizations who agree to share the costs of publishing new materials. He emphasized the need to determine who owns the rights to the work and whether the partnership will reflect well on a publisher's already established brand. Cobranding occurs when one publisher takes the lead and another publisher or organization puts its seal of approval on the book, sometimes receiving a royalty override. Bruggeman's Handout (PDF, 10kb). Cat Russo discussed various cobranding arrangements that ASTD entered into, including Training for Dummies, a book her organization published with Wiley. Chris Anzalone discussed the advantages of copublishing from a cost-benefit perspective and offered practical advice on avoiding problems: calculating your return on investment, managing author expectations, and becoming distracted from more profitable projects. All the panelists agreed that for association and society publishers, member support of the copublishing partnership is vital. And, as with publishing any book, it's important for publishers to ask the question, "Can I sell this book?" Ultimately, any copublishing arrangement must be well-thought out, well-planned, and well-executed in order to benefit the parties involved. --by Rebecca Stauffer
How Publishers Can Profit Using Google Tools
Date: March 3, 2009
Location: International City/County Management Association, Washington, DC
Presenter: Genevieve Brennan, Google Book Search
Summary:
Even a March snowstorm couldn't keep WBP members from arriving to hear Genevieve Brennan, a partner manager at Google Book Search, explain how free Google tools can be used to enhance publishing operations. These tools, said Brennan, can enrich publishing programs by driving traffic to publications and measuring page views and other Web traffic.
Among the tools recommended was Blogger, an application that allows users to create a free and easy blog, and Google Calendar, an application that can be used for tracking events such as book signings, author readings, and discussions on a website. Brennan discussed how publishers could enrich their own web presence through becoming Google Book Search partners and also demonstrated some publisher-specific applications that allow publishers to set up book previews on their own catalog sites. Other helpful free applications for publishers are Google Knol and the ubiquitous YouTube. Through Google's AdWords, publishers can pay a fee to place a sponsored link on the site of a Google search results page. Google also provides tools for measuring web traffic to publishers' sites. Publishers with books in Book Search can access reports showing the number of people who have searched inside books and how much they have viewed. Google Alerts allow publishers to measure interest in a topic by tracking the frequency of key words used in Google Search. AdWords customers can use Google Website Optimizer, a tool that allows users to test site content and design. She also emphasized the importance of Google Analytics, which can analyze Web traffic and navigational usage on a site. Used with BookSearch, Analytics could show the effectiveness of a publisher's purchase link.
Brennan ended the presentation by pointing members to Google's Book Partners Web site. --Rebecca Stauffer
Did They Start the (Digital) Revolution Without You?
Date: April 21, 2009
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC
Presenter: Stephen Driver, vice president of production services, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
Summary:
Stephen Driver led a lively discussion on the pros and cons of digital printing. He compared the differences between the print-on-demand (POD) and digital short run (DSR) processes. Typically, he said, POD is more effective with print runs of 1 to 150, whereas DSR is a better solution for printing 150 to 1,500 copies. Stephen stressed that when the publisher insists on quality from a digital printer, the printer is often able to comply, adding that high-quality digital copies can be nearly indistinguishable from their offset counterparts.
Stephen also discussed some of the more intricate details of the digital printing process, including the typical availability of paper stocks, the practicability of four-color covers, and the clarity of image reproduction. Hardback books can be printed digitally, and digital dust jackets are also an option. He cautioned, however, that the cost of specialty print runs often make traditional offset a more feasible option. The digital printing companies mentioned at the meeting included Edwards Brothers, QuebecorWorld, York Graphic Services, Amazon's BookSurge, and Lightning Source. Stephen encouraged publishers to request samples when working with new printers, to ensure that all needs are being met and to further the dialogue between publishers and printers concerning quality control. In closing, Stephen emphasized the positive aspects of digital printing. Imagine the convenience of a book always being in stock, the fiscal gains of using less warehouse space, and the environmental benefits of never overprinting! Stephen Driver's Slideshow (PowerPoint, 334 kb; photos courtesy of Edwards Brothers).--Melody Wilson
Book Design & Effectiveness Awards Ceremony
Date: June 11, 2009
Location: Resources Conservation Center, 1400 P Street NW, Washington, DC
Judges: Nancy Davenport, Acting Director of Library Services, District of Columbia Public Library
Bruce Gossett, Publisher and Managing Director, American Society of Civil Engineers
Dan Kohan, Principal, Sensical Design and Communication
Gina Lindquist, Sales and Marketing Director, Georgetown University Press
Link to
2009 Slideshow (PDF, 6.5 MB)
Link to
2009 Ceremony Program (PDF, 317 kb)
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